[Feature Request]: Investigate PipePipeExtractor and incorporate improvements

[ivo-doko]

Guidelines

• I have searched the issue tracker for open and closed issues that are similar to the feature request I want to file, without success.
• I have searched the documentation for information that matches the description of the feature request I want to file, without success.
• This issue contains only one feature request.
• I have read and agree to follow the rules.

Problem Description

Recent changes on YouTube have resulted in the necessity of waiting until preroll ads are finished before the video can begin playing. This isn't terrible and it's definitely usable, but if this could somehow be improved, it would be even better.

Proposed Solution

It seems that PipePipe is (as of writing) still able to load and play videos significantly faster, as if no waiting for preroll ads is taking place at all. I have noticed this when the app is either installed and running on an actual Android device, or when it's ran inside an Android emulator like BlueStacks.

It might be a good idea to investigate PipePipeExtractor (or get in contact with the developers) to see if this alternate extraction method can be incorporated into FreeTube as well.

Alternatives Considered

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Issue Labels

improvement to existing feature

Additional Information

I haven't performed any actual measurements of the wait time difference (such as with a stopwatch), so it's technically possible that the perceived difference is only due to confirmation bias, but that seems extremely unlikely to me.

[ivo-doko]

I've created a related discussion on PipePipe's GitHub repo.

[efb4f5ff-1298-471a-8973-3d47447115dc]

Thanks for the suggestion and for taking the time to look into possible improvements!

After reviewing how PipePipe works, it appears that their approach relies heavily on the iOS HLS endpoint. Unfortunately, this method isn't a good fit for FreeTube for a couple of reasons:

• Compatibility issues, The iOS HLS stream does not integrate well with FreeTube's current architecture, leading to poor playback experiences or even complete incompatibility.

• Decreasing reliability, YouTube has been increasingly enforcing potoken usage on the iOS HLS endpoint, which is causing it to become less viable over time. It's likely that this method will stop working altogether in the near future.

Given these limitations, we're unlikely to pursue this extraction method. That said, we're always looking for ways to improve performance and reduce ad-related delays, and we'll keep exploring options that align better with FreeTube's structure.

Closing for now, but appreciate the input!